Tread chain for vehicles



Patented Aug.y 26,` 1930` PATENT-OFFICE 'ARTHURHANNA DE ROCHER, oF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON TREAD CHAIN ronvnnronns Application mea February 5, 1930. Serin No. 426,155.

This invention relatesto ,tread .chains for vehicles of the track-laying type for loadcarrying vehicles,"and has for itsk object kto provide a structure of this character which l can be economically constructed and wherein the elements composing the chain may be quickly installed or replaced'in an unbroken chain of parts. With this object in view, the invention, generally stated, consists of a se-V le ries of treadmembers fiexibly connected together .in any Vsuitable manner, as by pivots, in a closedcircuit, each of which said tread membersis provided Hwith an inwardly proy jected truss element having an opening therethrough, with a suitable chain, such vas an ordinary oval-link log chain threaded through theropenings in the truss elements with the ends of the chain connected together in a closedcircuit. .'The innerdends of the e 2c truss elements are, by the present invention,

provided with inwardly projecting ribs forming oppositely facing abutments, the;

faces of the said abutments being shaped to receive ,the end of one of the links of the When the `chain is of the ovallink type'in dicated above,.preferably one of the links, in a vertical position, is located between the saidv ribs, and the ends of thelinks,engaging said last. named interposed link, Acontact with" the opposite side Vof the abutments, suitableretaining means, asapin, being passed through the truss member 'just below the ,chain to hold the parts in operative position.I With the tiea'dchain thus constructed, single elements, i'. e. the treadmembers, trusses, or links of the chain can be readily removedv and replaced. Furthermore, all the parts are of simple construction, requiring littley or no truss member may be of ordinary commercial type readily secured upon the market.

The inventive idea may receive a variety of mechanicalexpressions, one of which, for the y y 4I? purpose of illustrating 4 the f invention, is

shown in the accompanying drawings, which drawings, however, are to be taken as illustrative only, and not as delining the limits' of the invention, reference beinghad to the appended claims for this purpose.v

machining, and the chain connecting the In said drawings: 'Y Fig. l represents a side elevation, partly in section, of the tread chain, with parts of the vehicle to which itis applied; i i Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, looking in thev direction ofthe arrow ;V

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view taken on the l v vvReferring to the drawings,` in whichlikef rreference charactersV indicate l-ike `parts throughout the several views, lis a load-supporting axle, and y2is a beam pivotallyv mounted on the axle. Shafts 4, 4 are journalled in theopposite ends of the'beam 2, the wheels 3, 3 being journalled on the opposite ends of said shafts. vrlhe track chain upon which said wheels roll consistsl of"'a seriesof tread members flexibly connected togetherv lin a closed circuitpassing around the two pairs of wheels journalled on the shafts 4. Theparticular means for eifectingthe ieXible connection 0f the treads 5 forms no partof the present invention, but as here shown;psaid means consists of pins 6 passingA through two oppositely disposed ears 7, 7, Fig. 2, and through a portion 8 of the adjacent tread veX- tending between the ears 7, 7 .f Each tread laterally extending portions forming parallel treads for 'each' pair of. wheels. "I .All yofthat portion of the structure thu vfar, described be of theusual or any suitable form, since the specific construction thereof -is not of the present invention.

Projecting inwardly from each tread ,memi ber is a truss element 9, preferably formed integrally with the treadmember. This truss lelement hasan opening extending there-l` through, these openings inthe several truss elementsbeing in a line parallel with the ltread chain.- At the lower portion of said opening, adjacenty the tread member, the

Vopening isenlarged as at l0, and above this Vmember isf-provided on its opposite sides with abutments for receiving the opposing faces of two chain links, 12, 12, Fig. 3, with a third link 14 connecting said links 12, 12, the link 14 lying within the space between the two abutment ribs 11, 11, and the front and rear faces of said abutment ribs being preferably shaped to correspond to the shape of the chain links 12, 12. As here shown, this chain is in the form of an ordinary log chain composed of interlocking oval links and the abutments 11, 11 are therefore arch shaped to re ceive the said links.

The entire chain, composed of a series of said links, is formed into a closed circuit, the chain extending through each of the truss elements with the links of the chain assembled in relation to the truss elements as clearly illustrated in Figs. 2and 3. For the pur* pose of closing the chain, any suitable means may be employed for uniting 'the two ends of the chain such, for example, as a split link, as illustrated at 14, Fig. 2. Any other suitable means of closing the chain may be employed.

In assembling t-he parts the tread elements are first pivotally connected together with the truss elements projecting inwardly, i. e. toward the beam 2, and the chain is then passed through the enlarged part 10 of the opening, and the intermediate link 14; is raised edgewise between the abutments 11, 11 with the ends of the links 12, 12 in juxtaposition to said abutments, one on either side. When thus raised into position the chain is retained in such position by means of a pin 15 extending transversely across the truss member. When the chain has thus been passed through each of the truss elements, it is closed by means of the connecting split link 14, or other suitable connecting means.

Betweenthe truss elements, the chain links 12 are connected by an intermediate link or links 16, thus affording the flexibility which permits the several truss elements to assume the position shown in the right hand of Fig. 1 when passing around. the wheel, but when the tread chain is laid down on the ground in the position shown at the lower part of Fig. 1, said chain and the truss elements co-act to effectively stifl'en the whole structure, to form an effective, approximately rigid track for the wheels.

It will be -observed that the elements of my device are approximately free from any required machining of parts, that the chain connecting the truss elements is an ordinary chain, readily purchased upon the market, and that the whole structure is readily assems bled and disassembled, whereby broken or worn parts can be quickly removed and new parts inserted. It is thus apparent that the track chain, as a whole, is one that can be constructed at a minimum cost, affords an eilicient and reliable tread for the wheels, and can be rapidly and cheaply repaired without the necessity of using special tools or the aid of skilled labor.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In a track chain for vehicles, the combin ation of a plurality of tread members pivotally connected together in a closed circuit, an. inwardly projecting truss element on each tread member', oppositely facing abutments on each truss element, a chain consisting of a series of links connected together in a closed circuit, said. chain passing through each truss with a link bearing against each of said abutments, and means retaining said link in said position.

2. In a track chain for vehicles, the combination of a plurality of tread members pivotally connected together in a closed circuit, an inwardly projecting truss element on each tread member, each truss element having an opening therein through which a chain may bc passed and oppositely facing ,abutments adjacent said opening, and a chain passed through said openings with links thereof ensaid abutments, and means retaining the links in such engagement.

3. In a tread chain for vehicles, the combination of a series of tread members flexibly connected together in a closed circuit, an inwardly projecting truss element on each tread member, a chain of closed links in a closed circuit passing through each truss element, 0ppositely facing abutments on each truss element adjacent its inner end, each of said abu'ments being engaged by a link of said chain, and means retaining the link in said position.

Il. In a tread chain for vehicles, the combination of a series of tread members iiexibly connected in a closed circuit, an inwardly projecting hollow truss element on each tread member, a chain composed of links connected together in a closed circuit and passing through each truss element, each of said truss elements having oppositely disposed inwardly extending ribs in operative engagement with links of said chain, and means retaining said ribs and links in operative engagement.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

ARTHUR HANNA Dn ROCHER. 

